Lovers in a Dangerous Time
by mew-tsubaki
Summary: ChM, FA, MM. Multichapter songfic based on the relationships among our favorite pairs. Breakups, getting together, and the best dressed reincarnated saints around. May not finish; PM if want to adopt. Thanks.
1. I Can't Be With You

LOVERS IN A DANGEROUS TIME

by mew-tsubaki

Note: This is my first Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne fanfic, so no throttling me. I have yet to see the anime or the end of the manga, so I don't know how it ends, and if it's like the ending, then I sincerely apologize to Jeanne's author, Arina Tanemura-sensei. That reminds me: these characters belong to their creator and are not mine; it's the story line that's mine, okay? By the way, this is also a MaronChiaki, MiyakoMinazuki, & FinAccess fanfic. Also, Shikaido Hijiri still has his demon powers, but he's on the good side now (Maron's team). When you're done reading, please submit a review! I can't count how many times I've asked that of my readers, but the constructive criticism helps. Also, send me your ideas and I'll try to write them up as best I can. If you email me your idea, I'll give you credit and dedicate the fanfic to you, as well. Anyway, please enjoy!

Chapter One: I Can't Be With You (Cranberries)

"We're done patrolling for tonight," the blonde thief stated as her friends came into view. Before her stood two angels, one good, the other a dark angel, neither a full-fledged angel; a blue-haired thief who had won her heart; and a demon knight, who had switched sides and seemingly wasn't interested in the blonde kaito. "Did you guys find anything?"

"My area was empty," the demon knight replied.

The dark angel's face was exasperated as he turned to point to the other angel. "We got nothing."

The blonde kaito faced the blue-haired kaito. "What about you, Sinbad?"

"Nothing. Jeanne, remind me again why we're patrolling for demons when you know we already took care of the problem," Sinbad said, heaving a great sigh at the end of his sentence.

"I know we won that battle, but…I sense something else is still out there, waiting to make its move." Jeanne looked up to the beautiful night sky as her mind lingered on the thought of another great battle heading their way.

"Well, the three of us have school tomorrow, so I suggest we head home about now," the demon knight offered.

"Shikaido's right," Sinbad agreed, reverting to his civilian form. "Maron, come on."

Jeanne gazed at Sinbad and faintly smiled. "You're right, Chiaki," she said, reverting to her civilian form. Brushing her hair back, she turned towards the angels. "Should we let you guys stay out a little while longer?" she teased.

The green-haired angel fumed. "I do not want to stay near this barbarian's side any longer than I already have too!"

"Come on, Fin!" the dark angel pleaded. "You don't have to enjoy it. You just have to be with me!"

"No angel in her right mind would want to be with you, Access!"

Maron motioned to Chiaki. "You take care of this. I'm tired and I'm going home." She gave him a little peck on the cheek and started walking on ahead. "Come home soon!"

_Lying in my bed again,  
And I cry 'cause you're not here.  
Crying in my head again,  
And I know that it's not clear._

"I guess I'll walk her home," Shikaido stated, changing back into his human form. Chiaki shot a glare in his direction. "What? I'm just going to make sure she's okay. She's yours for the taking, Nagoya-kun." And with that wry smile of his, Shikaido turned and hurried after Maron. But what Chiaki didn't see was the smirk of a competitor.

_Put your hands, put your hands,  
Inside my face and see that it's just you.  
But it's bad and it's mad and it's making me sad,  
Because I can't be with you._

"I still don't trust that guy," Chiaki muttered under his breath. He turned back to the quarreling angels and sighed. "I hate getting stuck with this job… Maron's gonna be sacked with a tickle-raid when I get home."

"Why do you insist on following me everywhere?" Maron asked her teacher as she glared at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Is it so wrong to make sure my student gets home sound and safe?" Shikaido asked mischievously.

"When it's me, yes!" she exclaimed.

"What? Do you think I'm gonna try and take you away from Chiaki?" he pried.

"Not exactly, but I think you're likely to try something on me."

"Like what?"

Maron blushed. "You-you know what I'm implying! You don't have to make me say it, but I don't want you trying any of it!"

Shikaido stopped, pinned her to the nearby wall gently, and lifted her chin to make her eyes meet his. "But if you don't tell me, I may not know what not to do," he teased. Maron's heart pounded faster than she ever imagined, even…_even with Chiaki! _she thought. Shikaido's lips hovered over hers as she fought to say something, but no sound was coming out of her voice. "Do you mean something like this…?" He was too strong; the brunette just couldn't fight him off. There, against her will (but maybe not against her wishes), Shikaido did the forbidden and silently kissed Maron. Quickly, Maron gathered every ounce of strength she had and shoved Shikaido off of her.

_Be with you. X 4  
Be with you, be with you, baby, I can't be with you._

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" she shouted at him, cracking a slap across his face and busting his lip.

_Thinking back on how things were,  
And on how we loved so well.  
I wanted to be the mother of your child,  
And now it's just farewell._

Touching his busting lip, he smiled. "My, you are quite the feisty one, aren't you? But there's no need for that. I see Prince Charming has arrived." Shikaido glanced over his shoulder in Chiaki's direction.

_Put your hands in my hands,  
And come with me, we'll find another end.  
And my head, and my head on anyone's shoulder,  
'Cause I can't be with you._

"I knew we couldn't trust you!" Chiaki angrily stated. "Get away from her, you shit!"

_Be with you. X 4  
Be with you, be with you, baby, I can't be with you._

"Chiaki-!" Maron interjected, but the blue-haired teen gave her no time to finish. Chiaki grasped her arm and pulled her away from Shikaido.

"You could lose your job over this, you know," he pointed out. "Kissing a student is quite the serious offense."

_'Cause you're not here, you're not here,  
Baby, I can't be with you.  
'Cause you're not here, you're not here,  
Baby, still in love with you._

"Who cares?" Shikaido said, sticking his tongue out in a care-free manner. "Like you said, there aren't any more demons around here anymore. I just wanted to liven up the party a bit, that's all. See you two lovebirds at school tomorrow." Their sensei smiled and walked off in the direction of his apartment.

Chiaki turned back to Maron, who hugged herself against him. "Maron, he didn't do anything else to you, did he?" he asked.

"No…" Maron was crying now, but not because she was scared. She had felt the loneliness that Shikaido held in his heart when he had kissed her, and she wondered what was really going on in his life to make him so lonely, but she didn't dare bring any of this up in front of Chiaki.

_Still in love with you. X 6_

"Yo! What's up?" Miyako asked her best friend the next morning. "You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost or something."

Maron half-heartedly smiled. "Y-yeah, I'm okay…" The brunette's gaze fell to the floor. _No,_ she thought. _I'm not okay. I'm far from it. But I have no one to talk to about this situation!_

"Hey, is Maron okay?"

Maron looked up. Minazuki had joined her and Miyako just then and had been talking with Miyako while she was lost in her thoughts. "Hey, Minazuki-kun," she said. The other two stopped talking and just looked at Maron. "What?" she asked, shifting uncomfortably under two pairs of eyes. "Is there something on my face?"

Miyako looked perturbed. Here was her friend, who usually had spunk in the morning, but this morning…that spunk wasn't there. At all. "Your face is just as ugly as always," Miyako said, hoping some sarcasm would do Maron some good.

"Let's hope that's the case…" Maron muttered to herself, a forlorn expression painted on her face.

"What's got her so down?" Minazuki whispered in Miyako's ear.

"Beats me," Miyako replied, whispering as well. "Maron moron," she said in a regular Miyako tone, "where's Chiaki-kun?"

The brunette shook her head. "Let's not wait for him. I have a feeling he won't be coming down soon, so if we wait any longer, we'll be late for school. Come on, guys!" Maron forced a smile that was obviously fake and ran outside to escape the pressure.

"I don't like the looks of this. Something big must've happened between them," Miyako stated.

Minazuki looked at Miyako. "Todaiji-san, don't tell me you plan on fixing this thing," he mumbled exasperatedly.

"Of course I am! Someone has to make sure Chiaki's okay!" she snobbishly stated, walking briskly ahead to catch up with Maron.

"Somehow, I don't think that's the real story for her," Minazuki muttered to himself, but he shook that thought off and ran after Maron, too.

"Ohayo, Kusakabe-san," Hijiri-sensei said as he passed Maron in the hall for the first time that day. "I see you are well."

Maron glared at him. "I am not well, Shikaido-san!" she shrilly whispered. "I've just about had it with you and your shenanigans! I don't know what your problem is, but you better find yourself another girl, and fast before I decide to rip off any appendages on you that all males hold close to their hearts!"

Shikaido nervously held his grin. "That 'sticks & stones' saying sure isn't correct in this matter…"

"Listen to me!" Maron spoke sharply to him, but still kept her voice at a whisper level. "If you pull any more of your crap then I'll let Chiaki know where you are, every moment of every day! And believe me, he'll want to know!" And with that, Maron stomped off, a little bit more life in her then compared to that morning.

"For a minute there, I was almost scared of her…"

"Scared of whom?" a voice came from behind Shikaido and made him jump.

"Oh, it's just you, Pakkyaramao-sensei."

"Indeed. Are you having problems with Maron-san?" she asked.

"No, no. She's a good kid," he said, carefully picking his words before he said them.

"She is. My best student, in fact. I'll see that she does not bother you any further, but she usually has good reason when she confronts someone, so I would watch out if I were you." Ms. P smiled and walked back to her classroom.

Shikaido sighed and mumbled to himself, "I thought Fin as a mother hen was enough…"

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Maron turned around to find Chiaki standing behind her. "Okay… What's wrong?"

"It's about Shikaido."

The brunette just about froze to the ground where she was standing. "Why don't we step in here for a quick moment?" Maron motioned to the empty classroom right beside them and Chiaki went in, doing a kind of shrug/nod. "Chiaki, you're really quiet. Please tell me what's on your mind."

Chiaki faced Maron with those piercing blue eyes of his, sending shivers down Maron's spine. "You probably aren't going to want to here this, but…"

_Oh, god!_ Maron thought. _I hope he doesn't think that I want to be with Shikaido. He's our sensei, for crying out loud!_ Maron did her best to try and hide her fear, but she felt that Chiaki could read her eyes, which she felt were about to grow moist.

"I don't like him," Chiaki said, looking out the window. "But I'm also not sure if you do like him." He noticed that Maron was about to protest, but he held a hand up to halt her. "Look, until I figure out how we can boot Shikaido from the picture, and until I can figure out how exactly you feel about me, I think it'd be best to take a cooling period." Chiaki looked back at the love of his life, expecting her to hit him or cry, but she did nothing. "Maron…?"

She kept it all inside. "Sure! You just work on kicking Shikaido's butt and I'll prove to you that you're the one I treasure most!"

Chiaki half-heartedly smiled. "Maron…" He shook his head as if to shake off a nagging thought and exited the room as quietly as he had come in.

Once sure that Chiaki was out of hearing, Maron fell to her knees, the fake smile she had given Chiaki still painted on her face. Steady streams of tears flowed over that smile and broke it. There, alone and hurt, Maron cried, not knowing what to do next.

"Maron! Maron! Crud! She's been gone for the whole period!" Miyako exclaimed to Minazuki. "Where do you think she could've gotten to?" she asked of him as they absentmindedly passed Chiaki in the hall, neither stopping to ask him.

_Should I really have done that to Maron?_ Chiaki asked himself. When he caught a glimpse of Shikaido further down the hall, alone, Chiaki decided that it was worth it so he could clear up this mess and get Maron all to himself. As Chiaki rushed one way, Miyako and the student council rep rushed the way Chiaki came, the direction which led to Maron.

"Todaiji-san!" Minazuki piped. "Slow down!"

"No! It's not my fault that you're so slow!" Miyako stopped.

"She called me slow again…"

"Will you be quiet for a second!" Miyako cupped a hand around her ear. "Does that sound like someone crying to you?"

"It sounds like…Maron-san!" Minazuki exchanged worried glances with Miyako and they hurried to the next classroom. By now, all the classrooms were empty since it had been last period just a few minutes ago. And, unbeknownst to Minazuki and Miyako, it was just a few minutes ago that Chiaki had told Maron he wanted to halt their relationship.

The two paused outside of an empty classroom to confirm it as Maron's voice, and to confirm that she was in that room. "I'm going in," Miyako whispered to Minazuki. "I don't know what you want to do, but you can't stop me from going in there." To her surprise, Minazuki gave her a smile.

"I'm fine, but she may want Chiaki, so I think I'll go get him for her. You go ahead and take care of Maron-san." Minazuki turned on his heel and left Miyako by herself outside of the classroom, kind of speechless that Minazuki had thought that far ahead into the game by getting Chiaki. _Let's just hope Chiaki isn't the cause of this catastrophe…,_ Miyako thought to herself as she turned the doorknob to the room.

"Chiaki-kun! Wait!"

Chiaki glanced over his shoulder and saw Minazuki running towards him. As the class rep neared, Chiaki turned on his heel and almost greeted him with a kiss. "Oh, my dear class representative, how I've longed to be this close to you!" he teased.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!" Minazuki screeched, swatting Chiaki away.

"Aw, that's so mean…," Chiaki said, feigning sadness and tears as if he was really crushed about Minazuki's attitude towards him.

"Will you please stop fooling around!" Once sure that he had caught the blue-haired teen's attention, he continued, "Maron-san's crying right now and probably needs you!"

Chiaki turned serious. "I'm sorry, but I can't go help Maron right now…," Chiaki mumbled.

Minazuki gritted his teeth. "Why not!"

"Because," Chiaki said, his voice stern after not being allowed to finish his previous sentence, "I'm the reason why she's crying!"

"Then fix it!" Minazuki retorted, literally putting his foot down.

Taken aback by Minazuki's forthrightness, Chiaki smiled to himself. "And why are you so angry about it? Don't you want to try and comfort her right now?"

"No, because you're the only one who can do that!"

Chiaki sighed. "Look, I can't be with her right now because there's something I have to take care of before we're back together, all right?"

"_Back_ _together_?" Minazuki echoed.

"Yes, so I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" And with that, the civilian form of Kaito Sinbad walked off, troubled with the nagging thought that maybe this cool-off period for him and Maron may turn out to be a real break-up.

_I can't help Maron-san,_ Minazuki thought to himself, _because there's someone else I want to help first…_

"Maron?" Miyako stepped inside the room and, as she did, the crying stopped. "Maron, that's you, isn't it?" Miyako heard a shuffling noise and a sniffle, but no reply came. She walked in farther and saw the top of Maron's head by the front of the classroom over a desk. "Maron…," she exhaled.

"It's okay, Miyako. I'm fine. Really." Maron did her best to sound okay, but, from years of experience in handling Maron, Miyako knew that everything was not okay.

"Well then, I guess if everything's fine, then I'll just go say hi to Chiaki by myself," Miyako snidely said, hoping some sarcasm would cheer her friend up.

"Please, don't say that right now."

Miyako was puzzled. Usually, Maron was punching her in the arm by now, cheerful once again, but Maron had taken it seriously this time. "Maron, you do know that I was joking just now right?"

"How can I know what a joke is and what's not now…?" Maron asked, obviously posing a rhetorical question.

"What happened?" Miyako inquired.

"Chiaki, I think…I think he broke up with me!"


	2. I'll Be

LOVERS IN A DANGEROUS TIME

by mew-tsubaki

Note: This is my first Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne fanfic, so no throttling me. I have yet to see the anime or the end of the manga, so I don't know how it ends, and if it's like the ending, then I sincerely apologize to Jeanne's author, Arina Tanemura-sensei. That reminds me: these characters belong to their creator and are not mine; it's the story line that's mine, okay? By the way, this is also a MaronChiaki, MiyakoMinazuki, & FinAccess fanfic. Also, Shikaido Hijiri still has his demon powers, but he's on the good side now (Maron's team). When you're done reading, please submit a review! I can't count how many times I've asked that of my readers, but the constructive criticism helps. Also, send me your ideas and I'll try to write them up as best I can. If you email me your idea, I'll give you credit and dedicate the fanfic to you, as well. Anyway, please enjoy!

Chapter Two: I'll Be (Edwin McCain)

_Maron moron!_ Miyako thought to herself. Hours ago Maron had told her that Chiaki just wanted to cool down their relationship for no reason at all (or at all least one that Maron would never tell her). _I would've killed just to be with Chiaki like that,_ Miyako thought. _But I stepped aside to let her be the center of Chiaki's attention. Of course, she probably always was…_ Miyako half-heartedly smiled to herself when she heard a familiar voice.

"Todaiji-san!" Minazuki came running over to Miyako. "Is Maron inside? How is she doing?"

"Figures. All males care about how Maron's doing or what Maron thinks of them, never Miyako," Miyako nastily voiced. She opened one eye and found, to her surprise, that Minazuki was smiling at her again. Now crimson, she quickly asked, "W-what's that grin for!"

"Well, I was trying to decide if whether or not to laugh at you!"

"What was that?" Miyako asked in the scariest tone of voice she had ever used before.

"EEP!" came from Minazuki. "I-it's just that…I thought you just kinda looked funny when you were flustered…"

Miyako sighed and sat down on the edge of the wall outside the apartment building. "Whatever…" Miyako ignored Minazuki's comment as the day's trouble came rushing back, her face displaying her worries.

"Todaiji-san," Minazuki began, "is everything all right? You didn't have a fight with Maron or anything, did you?"

The purple-haired girl thought for a brief moment and then decided to answer him. "It just feels like, now that Maron has Chiaki, she won't tell me anything anymore. I don't want to know her deepest, darkest secrets, but I want to know what's going on in that head of hers, you know?" Miyako half-heartedly smiled at Minazuki. "Come on. Laugh. It's funny, really. I've just been pushed aside by the person I care the most about."

"I won't laugh. It's not funny," Minazuki said in a stern voice, looking directly at Miyako as he said it.

Miyako's smile faded and she gritted her teeth. "Why won't you laugh!" She practically screamed it at him. "Laugh! Laugh at me, goddammit! Everyone else does! Everyone else feels the need to make me feel this way!" Miyako threw a clenched fist at his chest, pounding her fists against him, repeating over and over again, "Laugh! Laugh!"

Minazuki caught one of her fists and grabbed her other wrist. "I won't laugh. You shouldn't be feeling this way, no matter what anyone says. You are who you are. You choose the people who make a difference in your life, and those are the people you listen to. You're strong and while it's good to cry once in a while, tears will never get you anywhere. I came over here to see how you were doing, not Maron. I've noticed that any time, recently, when the two of you talk, you guys usually end up on the outs. You need someone to talk to and I'm willing to listen. Those other people who make you feel this badly inside," Minazuki pause to pull Miyako's slumped form up so she was looking him in the eye, "they don't know what it's like to be you, but at the same time, when you show tears, it's just like giving into them. When you show that sadness that you have, it's almost like you've stopped being you for the moment. You're strong, and there are people who admire that, so you should keep on being strong so you keep on being you."

_The strands in your eyes_

_The color of them wonderful_

_Stop me and steal my breath_

_And emeralds from mountains_

_Frost holds the sky _

_Never revealing their depths_

When Minazuki had finished, Miyako was gazing at him, awestruck. She didn't believe that he could say anything so, so…straightforward-like. He was the one who was shy; he was the one hiding behind others and crying all the time. Yet, here he was, telling her to stay strong when he couldn't do it himself. She laughed to herself a little on the inside at the irony of the situation and looked back at Minazuki.

_And tell me _

_That we belong together_

_Dress it out with the trappings of love_

_I'll be captivated_

_I'll hang from your lips_

_Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above_

"You stay strong and I'll see you tomorrow at school. Besides, the strong part of you, the whole you, was who I fell in love with." Minazuki smiled and ran off and it took a minute before either of them had realized what he had just said.

_And I'll be your crying shoulder_

_I'll be a love suicide_

_And I'll be better when I'm older_

_I'll be the greatest fan of your life_

_OH MY GOD! I didn't really say that last night, right? Please tell me I didn't say that last night! God, I didn't want to tell her like that so casually! _Minazuki was absorbed in his thoughts as he was pacing back and forth in the hallway, nearly crying because of his little nonchalant confession last night.

"Minazuki-kun?"

Minazuki nearly jumped. "T-Todaiji-san! I didn't see you there. Um, nice morning, isn't it?"

"It's cloudy. It looks like it's going to rain."

"Uh, right. Terrible weather, it is. The worst I've seen in a while. You sleep okay?'

"Eh," Miyako replied, "okay. My mind was lingering on one thing, though…"

"Look," Minazuki said, "I'm sorry for what I said last night. That just came out and I didn't really mean it, so…"

There was an odd pause. Miyako's eyes stayed on the floor for the moment. "So it was a joke?" she finally asked.

"Maybe…" Minazuki chuckled nervously. "Well, I've gotta go now. I'll see you in class later." With that, Minazuki turned and left.

"A joke?" Miyako said, repeating herself. Turning angrily on her heel, she gritted her teeth and headed to her homeroom. _Just when I thought I could trust him, my high hopes come crushing down. Even those hopes…_

"Sensei, may I be excused for the rest of the day?"

Ms. P looked bewildered. "But it's only second period…"

"I'm sorry, Ms. P, but I really don't fell well at all."

The teacher thought for a brief moment. "I suppose… I'll collect your assignments and give them to Kusakabe-san at the end of the day for you. Are you sure you don't want to stay for the rest of the day? The rest of the period?"

"Sensei…"

"Well, all right. I just hope you feel better tomorrow. Tomorrow's the meet, you know. Anyway, do feel better."

"Yes, sensei."

Hijiri approached Ms. P after she was done talking with the student. "She not feeling well?" he asked.

Ms. P frowned. "I'm afraid not. And tomorrow's the meet, as well. Kusakabe is good, but I don't want her to carry the competition like last time."

"Maybe she'll be feeling better tomorrow," Hijiri offered.

"I hope you're right." Ms. P bit her lower lip as she and Hijiri went back to their classes. _Please be well by tomorrow, Miyako…_

"Good morning, Maron-san!" Minazuki happily said as the brunette appeared from the elevator with Chiaki. "Chiaki-kun…"

"Well, good morning to you, as well, Minazuki-kun," Chiaki said, that mischievous smile painted on his face once again.

Minazuki turned to Maron. "So, are you and Todaiji-san ready to wipe out the competition today?"

Maron faintly smiled. "Actually, Miyako's sick. She can't compete today."

"Todaiji-san's sick? That's odd she seemed fine yesterday."

"I know, but sometimes these things just come out of nowhere. Why don't the three of us come back after the competition and hang out with her? It'll probably cheer her up."

"Or at least to the point of being sarcastic again," Chiaki interjected.

Minazuki halfheartedly grinned like Maron had done. "Uh, yeah…"

"_And, for Kusakabe Maron, the score is 9.99, making it a close call for the final school. Next is Fujishima High's own Hayate Wakaba…"_

"I can't believe Miyako-san isn't here to see this," Chiaki commented to Minazuki as they walked back to their seats from the vending machine. "She would freak if she saw Maron's score, but that's her own way of being happy, I guess."

"But something doesn't seem right. I mean, Todaiji-san was fine yesterday when I talked to…" Minazuki froze and dropped his open soda. _When I talked to her yesterday!_ he thought. _Of course! I just told her that it fell out of my mouth! I took it back, but she must've interpreted it the wrong way. _ Minazuki bit his lower lip and mentally kicked himself. _Fuck! It's my fault she's 'sick'!_ Minazuki turned on his heel and dashed down the hallway.

"Minazuki-kun!" Chiaki hollered. "Where are you going! The competition's almost over!"

"Tell Maron 'good job' from me, okay!" Minazuki rounded a corner and was gone.

"What the hell…?" Chiaki muttered to himself. "Where could he be going at ten o'clock at night?"

_Let's just hope Maron won the competition for me, _Miyako thought to herself as she closed her book. Miyako looked outside her window. _Maybe it wasn't an honest thing to do, but that really hurt. I think I should be prepared to call off Monday and Tuesday, maybe…_ Just then, Miyako could've sworn she had caught a glimpse of Minazuki as he entered the apartment structure. _Wh-what is he doing here!_ Miyako thought, completely flustered. Quickly, she turned off the light and threw the covers over her head, hoping that her mother would get the signal that she was not to be disturbed. It was then that she heard the footsteps and the panting at the apartment's front door.

Minazuki stopped at the door to the Todaijis' apartment and caught his breath. _I just hope Todaiji-san's willing to talk to me! Or at least listen!_ Minazuki knocked impatiently on the door and waited for someone to answer. As he expected, Miyako's mother answered the door.

"Ah, Minazuki-kun!" Miyako's mother exclaimed. "What are you doing here at this hour?"

"Todaiji-san's home, right?" Minazuki asked, some unexpected shortness in his tone of voice. "I need to see her. Now."

"Minazuki-kun, it is very late and I-"

"Todaiji-sama, _now_," Minazuki insisted. He was surprised at himself for being so forthright, but he didn't want to leave Miyako hurt.

Miyako's mother sighed. "Come in, Minazuki-kun. I'll see if Miyako's awake."

Minazuki followed Miyako's mother into the living room and sat down impatiently on the couch in the middle of the room. _Miyako, I promise to never hurt you again! I just wish I hadn't already caused you this much hurt!_

_And rain falls angry on a tin roof_

_As we lie awake in my bed_

_And you're my survival, you're my living proof_

_My love is alive, not dead_

"Isn't it a little late for the class rep to be awake and out?" Miyako's voice rang out. Minazuki turned to where her voice had come from. The purple-haired girl was leaning against the wall's corner for support, but her look was confident, full of independence. "Well, would you like something?"

Minazuki felt his anger rising. Not towards her, but towards himself. _She's playing nice,_ he thought. _ She's probably trying to avoid what I'm really here to talk to her about._

_And tell me _

_That we belong together_

_Dress it out with the trappings of love_

_I'll be captivated_

_I'll hang from your lips_

_Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above_

"I can make the two of you some goodies, if you want," Miyako's mother suggested even though she was obviously tired.

"We're fine, Mother. This will be quick, so you can go back to bed."

"But-"

"I'll show Minazuki-kun out when we're done, Mother. Good night." Miyako's voice was stern, maybe even harsh, but her mother ignored it and disappeared into her room, leaving Miyako and Minazuki alone. Miyako turned to Minazuki once more. "So? What do you want to say so badly?"

The male bit his lower lip. He disliked, no, _hated_, this casual tone of hers. He stood and looked her straight in the eye. "I'm sorry."

_And I'll be your crying shoulder_

_I'll be a love suicide_

_And I'll be better when I'm older_

_I'll be the greatest fan of your life_

"'Sorry'? Oh, god, don't start that again. If you think-" Miyako was cut off when Minazuki walked right up to her and slammed his fight in the wall against which she was leaning. "Hey! Minazuki-kun…" She had to admit, that scared her a little, but it did make her shut up so he could talk.

_And I dropped out _

_I burned up _

_I fought my way back from the dead_

_Tuned out, turned on_

_Remembering the things that you…you said_

"I'm _not_ going to start that again. But that's only because what came out was the wrong thing, Todaiji-san." His look was so intense; Miyako could feel her heart jump into her throat! "Todaiji-san, I worry about you more than I would say stands for friendship, and I've got to thinking about those feelings for a while now, probably months. When what I said slipped out the other night, I unintentionally hurt you, but it hurt both of us. First of all, I didn't mean to say something like that so nonchalantly; second, you misunderstood what I said when I apologized for it; and third, now I have come to realize how much I hurt you when the wrong words fell out of my mouth, and I'm hurt that you're hurt." Minazuki had to stop to catch his breath, but his looked softened considerably, so much, so, that he faintly smiled at her. "That doesn't make much sense, does it?"

_And I'll be your crying shoulder_

_I'll be a love suicide_

_And I'll be better when I'm older_

_I'll be the greatest fan of your…_

Miyako closed her eyes and let her sarcastic streak return at the late hour (which was around eleven, now). "Probably because you're stupid."

The smile Minazuki-kun was wearing stuck even though he was practically crying in his mind because she was being mean to him again. _Well, at least she's okay enough to be sarcastic,_ he thought.

_And I'll be your crying shoulder_

_I'll be a love suicide_

_And I'll be better when I'm older_

_I'll be the greatest fan of your life_

"So, you're telling me that what you said that night was true? That you have feelings for me?"

The green-haired teen blushed slightly. "Well, to put it…yes," he finally answered. He felt something then, confidence, and stood straight as he looked her in the eyes and said, "Todaiji Miyako-san, I have feelings for you, feelings of more than friendship, and I hope that, in time, you will come to accept these feelings." His shoulders hung back a little now. "But returning them is completely your choice to make." He searched her eyes, but she turned away (which hurt him a little) and motioned him to the front door.

_The greatest fan of your life_

"Please go," she barely managed in a tone that was quieter than a whisper.

Now Minazuki frowned as he headed for the door. As he was half-way over the threshold, he said to her, without turning to look back, "I guess you don't have to answer me if you don't want to. Just know that these feelings will probably always exist, and not for Kusakabe-san, but for the girl that should get attention, the one that caught my attention a long time back." And with that, Minazuki left the Todaiji residence (and a confused Miyako slumped in a heap on the floor near the wall).

_The greatest fan of your life…_

It had been almost two full weeks without Miyako at school, and Minazuki's gloomy aura was catching on to Maron as well. "Minazuki-kun," Maron mumbled, "…goddammit! You gave me your gloomy!" she whined at him.

"Why are you whining, Kusakabe-san?" Minazuki's face was buried in his desk as he sulked and Maron was imitating him at her desk.

"Why not? My relationship's not going how it's supposed to… Why are _you_ whining?"

"Because mine isn't, either."

"Oh." Maron let his words sink in for a minute before her head shot up. "Wait! _Your_ relationship!"

"Crap…"

Maron winked at him. "Miyako hasn't given you an answer yet, has she?"

Now Minazuki's head shot up. "H-how did you know!"

"It's been written all over your face since months ago, Minazuki-kun. I'm glad you plucked up the courage to tell her, though." Maron sighed and spaced out.

"Kusakabe-san, what happened between you and Nagoya-kun?"

Maron's expression went blank; it was like she had just been completely frozen.

"Kusakabe-san?"

"Minazuki-kun, I really don't feel like talking about it, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't bring it up again." Maron stood to leave for the bathroom, but the end-of-the-day bell rang and she picked her bag up, as well. "I'll catch you later, Minazuki-kun."

"Uh, yeah…"

Maron was just opening the door to leave when she bumped into Chiaki. "Oh, sorry," she said to him. "I've gotta go. Bye, Nagoya-kun." And she left.

Minazuki's jaw dropped and fell on the floor. _SHE CALLED HIM 'NAGOYA-KUN'!_ At this point, Minazuki felt like he was losing his grip on sanity.

"Care for a ride home, Kusakabe-san?"

"Not from you, Shikaido-san!" Maron hmphed.

"Aw, come on. I told you to call me Hijiri. Besides, I won't bite. Much," he replied, the same old smirk of his painted on his face.

The brunette stopped walking and turned to him to let him have it. "Haven't you _learned_ yet! You and I will never be together, you letch! You're my teacher, I'm the student; anything clicking yet!"

"So you're just concerned about you being a student and me being a teacher? Wow, I didn't know you were into the forbidden, Maron."

"_I'm_ not! You _are_! And don't call me by my first name!"

"I bet if it hadn't been for the age difference, your father would've arranged a marriage between us back when I was still in France, actually."

Maron's voice was icy-cold this time. "Don't you _ever_ use my parents like that."

Hijiri pretended not to listen as he parked alongside the road and got out to walk with Maron. "Look, I hadn't told you this, but Takumi almost _did_ arrange a marriage between us, Maron. The only reason he didn't wasn't because of our age difference though. He's waiting to arrange one once you graduate that way it won't cause any problems. As soon as you graduate, we're getting married."

Maron's response: she pretty much fainted. What wasn't good about this scene, though, was that, not only had Chiaki seen it, but he had also heard Hijiri call Maron by her first name (luckily, he hadn't stayed to overhear the arranged marriage part).

mew-tsubaki here! I can't believe I finished the second chapter! Woo-hoo! Anyway, please review the story for me. I'll try get to your replies when I can, so don't get angry with me because I haven't commented. By the way, check out my other fanfics, as well, and don't forget to review, too! I desperately want reviews, though… ;; 3 mew-tsubaki loves you all! P.S. –how'd you like my Hijiri/Maron twist? I can't believe I wrote that in, either…


	3. Promises

LOVERS IN A DANGEROUS TIME

by mew-tsubaki

Note: This is my first Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne fanfic, so no throttling me. I have yet to see the anime or the end of the manga, so I don't know how it ends, and if it's like the ending, then I sincerely apologize to Jeanne's author, Arina Tanemura-sensei. That reminds me: these characters belong to their creator and are not mine; it's the story line that's mine, okay? By the way, this is also a MaronChiaki, MiyakoMinazuki, & FinAccess fanfic. Also, Shikaido Hijiri still has his demon powers, but he's on the good side now (Maron's team). When you're done reading, please submit a review! I can't count how many times I've asked that of my readers, but the constructive criticism helps. Also, send me your ideas and I'll try to write them up as best I can. If you email me your idea, I'll give you credit and dedicate the fanfic to you, as well. Anyway, please enjoy! P.S.- I have no idea where I'm going with this…(I sort of do…)

Chapter Three: Promises (Cranberries)

Jeanne's alter ego awoke later that night on a couch with a damp towel on her forehead. _Where am I?_ she thought. She looked around the room with dazed eyes and couldn't recognize where she was. Her first thought was that maybe she was in Chiaki's room, but the décor was only similar in some cases. _If not Chiaki's, then whose room am I in?_ Just then, Maron remembered her fight with Hijiri and how he had told her about an arranged marriage between them. _Crap! That's just great. Chiaki's trying to kick my fiancée-to-be out of the picture. 'Crap'? More like 'shit'…_

_You'd better believe I'm coming  
You'd better believe what I say  
You'd better hold on to your promises  
Because you bet you'll get what you deserve._

Maron got up from the couch and looked over the belongings. Fro the most part, the room was barren. There was the couch and a coffee table in the living room, a table in the kitchen (which connected to the living room), and a door that probably led to the apartment's single bedroom. The brunette walked over to the coffee table and looked at the picture frame as she held it in her hands. _The child is so cute in his mother's arms, _ she thought happily, smiling at the picture she was holding.

"I see you've met Mother," a voice behind her said. A voice she wasn't too particularly chummy with right now.

"Hijiri, where are we?" she asked in a calm voice.

Before he answered, Hijiri stuck his fingers in his ears. "My place."

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Maron's shriek was just as he had expected: loud and shrill. "OH MY GOD!" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I…spent the night at…Hijiri-sensei's…?" Her mind could not even comprehend what was going on here, but it was going, nonetheless.

"You can just call me Shikaido now that you know we're engaged."

Maron glared at him from the corner of her eye. "Engaged? You just said that we were to get married when I graduated."

"Yes, so that means that we're engaged right now." Shikaido shot her a playful smile and walked over to where she was standing. Carefully, he lifted the picture out of her hands and looked at it fondly. "Mother approves of you, Maron. That's good."

"Why the hell am I in the same building with a nut that is talking to a picture of his mother?" she thought aloud.

"My Mother died when I was young, Maron, so I talk to this picture often," Shikaido commented quietly.

"Oh…," she said. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"Nah, it's okay. But I definitely think she likes you."

"How do you know?" Maron asked innocently.

"Because _I_ like you…" Shikaido filled the space that was between him and Maron, and she felt it hard to breathe. He bent down slightly and gave her kiss much like the one that started the whole mess between her and Chiaki, only this one was softer and…more passionate, more loving. After a moment, he withdrew his lips and tongue (author: gross out!) from her mouth and smiled again. "She must like you very much to allow her son to be with you, though."

_She's going to leave him over  
She's going take her love away  
So much for your eternal vows, well  
It does not matter anyway._

Maron's head hung as she became lost in her thoughts. _What do I do? Chiaki is trying to kick Shikaido out of the picture, I'm trying to prove to Chiaki that I love him, and I have mixed feelings about the both of them… Huh,_ she thought, realization hitting. _Shikaido and Chiaki are very much alike…_ She smiled to herself a little, but, inside, she almost felt like her heart was being ripped in half. Maron had to admit it: she had feelings for Shikaido, whether she liked it or not. So, half of her heart belonged to Shikaido, the other to Chiaki; who was she to choose!

_Why can't you stay  
Here a while  
Stay here awhile  
Stay with me._

"Maron? Maron?" Miyako pounded her fist on the door to Maron's apartment, but no one answered. "Where is she?"

"What's all the racket?" Chiaki asked as he appeared from next door.

"I don't think Maron came home last night," Miyako warily stated. "I've been knocking, but she hasn't answered, so I think-"

"Hold on, Miyako. She can't have been out all night. She's probably just in there, ignoring you. Let me try." Chiaki turned to the door. "Maron, it's Miyako and Chiaki out here. Are you in there? You can come out if you want, you know." There was no response. Chiaki knew this was bad, because he had an inkling as to her whereabouts.

"Oh, Miyako, I just remembered where she is," he quickly said. "I'll go get her. I promise."

_Oh oh oh oh oh oh  
All the promises we made  
Promises we made  
All the meaningless and empty words I broke  
Broke broooke_

"I'll come with you."

"No, it's okay. I'll get her by myself. You can go on ahead to school." Chiaki reassured Miyako with a grin and she went on ahead, as directed. As soon as Miyako was out of sight, Chiaki faced Maron's front door once more. "Finn, it's just Chiaki. Can you let me in?"

Again, there was no response, just a small **_CLICK!_** as the door opened. Chiaki walked in and closed the door behind, and Finn showed up. The little angel just flew into Chiaki, really sad because of Maron's absence. "Maron hasn't come home since yesterday morning, Chiaki-kun! I don't know where she is!"

"Finn…"

"Finn, are you okay!" Access appeared out of nowhere to Finn's side. "You didn't make her cry, did you, Chiaki!" The dark angel threw the blue-haired teen a nasty glare.

"No, Access," Finn replied, "it wasn't Chiaki-kun. M-Maron hasn't come home!" Now Finn was all over Access, who wasn't really paying attention to where she was, only the fact that she was sad.

"Look," Chiaki told Access, "I'm gonna try to find Maron, so I expect you to stay here and take care of Finn." Access nodded and Chiaki dashed out of the room. Then Access realized what Chiaki had said. Blushing, Access became lost in his thoughts. _S-st-stay here with Finn? Alone! Taking care of her? By MYSELF!_ Somehow, Access couldn't picture himself being happier.

_Oh oh oh oh oh  
All the promises we broke  
Promises we broke  
All the meaningless and empty words I spoke  
Spoke spooooke_

_Fuck,_ Chiaki thought to himself. _How the hell do I figure out where that dipshit lives?_ Even though he was trying to concentrate, Chiaki could only picture Maron and Shikaido together at the moment, and he didn't like it one bit. He stopped running on the sidewalk and threw the side of his fist against the concrete wall. "Goddammit! Maron…!"

Just then, Shikaido's sports car pulled up beside the apartment complex that Chiaki, Miyako, and Maron all shared, but Maron wasn't inside it. Chiaki watched as the sensei parked, got out, and carried some boxes up to…_ The floor where Maron lives!_ Chiaki realized with fear. _What the hell is going on!_

_What of all the things that you taught me  
What of all the things that you'd say  
What of all your prophetic preaching  
You're just throwing it all away_

Frantically, the blue-haired teen ran back to the building, up the fire exit, and onto the floor of his and Maron's apartments. There he saw Shikaido take some boxes into Maron's place. "What the hell are you doing!" he shouted at the tall teacher. Shikaido didn't answer, and Chiaki knew that was a bad sign.

Chiaki dashed down the hallway and into Maron's open apartment to find Shikaido gathering some things from the living room, bathroom, and Maron's room (the last of which _really_ pissed Chiaki off!). "What are you doing!" he repeated.

_Maybe we should burn the house down  
Have ourselves another fight  
Leave the cobwebs in the closet  
'Cause tearing them out is just not right_

Shikaido paused, but didn't turn around and look at Chiaki. "What does it look like I'm doing?" he asked casually.

"Stop touching her stuff!"

A small chuckle escaped Shikaido's lips. "Because you haven't?"

"N-no!" Chiaki could feel his stomach turning sick just standing here talking with his teacher like this. "Where's Maron?" he asked, more calm now.

"She's at home."

"_This_ is her home!"

"Not anymore."

Chiaki could feel his anger rising. "What the hell are you talking about!"

"You shouldn't use such profanity, Nagoya-kun."

Now, Chiaki had had it. The blue-haired teen flung himself onto Shikaido and clocked him with a nice right hook to the cheek. "Where's Maron! If you've done anything to her, I swear I'll-" Chiaki stopped.

_Why can't you stay  
Here awhile  
Stay here awhile  
Stay with me_

Shikaido was smirking. "You'll what? Beat me to a bloody pulp? Make me wish I'd never been born? Get off your high horse, kid. There's nothing you or Maron or even _I_ can do, for that matter. If you want someone to blame, blame her parents. More specifically, her father."

Sinbad's civilian form was taken aback by the strange comment. "'Blame her father'…?"

Now Shikaido sighed and closed his eyes. "Right now, Maron is moving into her new home, my place. One month from now, eighteen-year-old Maron will become my wife."

_Oh oh oh oh oh  
All the promises we made  
Promises we made  
All the meaningless and empty words I prayed  
Prayed praaaayed_

Well, that pretty much did it. Chiaki could feel his world collapsing all around him, like he had just lost his purpose to live, and all because of her parents, the ones who had hurt her from the beginning, the ones who were now working on hurting the one who loved her the most. And they were doing a pretty good job at it, too.

_Oh oh oh oh oh  
All the promises we broke  
Promises we broke  
All the meaningless and empty words I spoke  
Spoke Spooooke_

"Chiaki?"

Chiaki's face was expressionless as he stared into Maron's eyes. "Hey, Maron."

Shikaido appeared from behind the blue-haired teen. "I hope you don't mind, Maron. He asked to tag along." Shikaido held out two boxes in front of him. "I gathered some of your things, like you asked, but I was thinking you should pack anything else you want to bring over here." He paused and looked from Maron to Chiaki, Chiaki to Maron, and sighed. "I'll let you guys talk. Maron, I'll be down by the car if you need anything." And with that, Shikaido left them alone.

"So," Chiaki began, "one month from now, huh?"

Maron froze on the spot. She could not move her lips to speak at all!

"I guess this answers my question, you know?" he continued. "Last time I checked, I couldn't kick a fiancée out of the picture. That would be a little hard, even for Sinbad." He feigned a smile. "You know, ya coulda just told me that I was right, Maron."

_Think, Maron, think!_ The brunette thought to herself. _Don't let Chiaki do this to you!_

"No answer, huh? I might've guessed. But, Maron, it doesn't make any sense. You were scared because of the 'agent of Satan' thing with me, but Shikaido-san's a _demon_ _knight_! Why the sudden change of heart?" Maron could see that Chiaki, who was usually strong, was resisting tears now.

_Oh oh oh oh oh  
All the promises we made  
Promises we made  
All the meaningless and empty words I prayed  
Prayed praaaayed_

Maron bit her lip. "W-what did Shikaido tell you?" she asked fearfully.

" Just 'Shikaido'? You've gotta be kidding me…"'

"Just tell me!"

Chiaki sighed and told her.

_Now I have to fill in the blanks, _Maron thought. "I can't get out of this, Chiaki-"

"Of course you can!"

Maron shook her head. "I can't. Shikaido must not've exactly told you that it was my father who arranged a marriage between us. I'll be more than enough older next month when we leave high school."

Chiaki remembered now. "Wait, tomorrow's…"

She nodded. "May thirtieth. My birthday. I'll be nineteen."

"Do you really feel like you can go on with this?" Chiaki's tone was cold and distant now, and Maron didn't move.

"I can't get out of it, even if I wanted to, Chiaki."

Both held their breath. "You…you _want_ this to happen?" His voice was barely above a whisper.

"Chiaki," Maron said, looking into his eyes, grabbing his hands in hers as she stepped closer to him, "you were half right. But the thing is, I'm still so confused about everything. The one thing I know is that I love you-" -Chiaki's eyes flashed with hope- "-but I also have feelings for Shikaido. Feelings that are just as strong as the ones I have for you." Maron dropped her voice to a barely audible tone. "Maybe stronger than the ones I hold for you…"

_Oh oh oh oh oh  
All the promises we broke  
Promises we broke  
All the meaningless and empty words I spoke  
Spoke Spooooke_

Both were silent for what seemed like an eternity. Maron stood there, holding Chiaki's hands in hers, leaning her head against his shoulder. Chiaki looked straight ahead, like he couldn't bear to look at Maron.

"Chiaki," Maron said, "I-I'm sorry."

The blue-haired teen was stone cold when Finn and Access flew in from the window. "Yo, Chiaki, dude!" Access said. "We've got a serious problem in Kakimachi!"

Finn nodded. "There are three demons on the loose! We need both of you down there now!"

Chiaki pulled away from Maron and grasped his cross. "Then we'll head out." He exited the room with the two angels behind him, letting Maron fall to her knees.

The tears rapidly fell from her eyes. _Chiaki! I'm so sorry! I don't want you to be cold to me, but I can't get out of it!_ Just then, Shikaido had come in the door and rushed to Maron when he saw her crying.

"Maron, what happened! Did Chiaki do something to you!"

Maron neither nodded nor shook her head, only sobbed as Shikaido pulled her close to his chest. _I've found I love both of you! That's the worst thing that can happen!_ Maron cried for another minute or so before she straightened up. "We've got to go to Kakimachi. There are three demons that we need to hunt down."

Shikaido helped Maron to her feet. "Can you fight right now?"

Maron faked a smile for him. "Of course! We should go." Maron headed out of the door with her cross, not stopping to wait for Shikaido.

_Believe it or not, Maron, _Shikaido thought, _I don't want to pressure you._ He bent down and picked up one of Maron's ribbons from one of the boxes and held it to his lips as he became the demon knight he really was. _You've put your charm on me and made me yours._ He looked ahead now with a smile on his face as he headed out the door. _And I'm ready to be yours. You just have to worry about me waiting any longer…_

_Oh hey oh hey oh hey ..._

How did you like this chapter? Don't be upset with me, because I have no idea what I'm writing right now. Please review and send me your thoughts and questions. I'd be happy to answer them when I can. One thing I will reveal is that I think Shikaido is an awesome character and he is hot (yep, I'm female!), but I have decided who I want to put Maron with in this, so look forward to the rest of the story. By the way, I hadn't said anything before, but this takes place at the end of their high school life and Maron's birthday falls late in the year so she's older (does that make any sense?). Here's how it goes: Hijiri is twenty-two; Chiaki is nineteen; Maron (who will become nineteen in chapter four), Miyako, and Minazuki are all eighteen. I know it's confusing, but that's how everything goes for this story. If you find anything about Shikaido's real age in the manga, please let me know in your review because I don't know how old he really is, and I would appreciate the knowledge. Also, the manga is confusing me: Is his last name Hijiri or is it Shikaido? I'm only asking because CMX does the honorifics and puts the last names first, but I'm still not sure…anyway, thanks! mew-tsubaki - 3


	4. Lovers in a Dangerous Time

LOVERS IN A DANGEROUS TIME

by mew-tsubaki

Note: This is my first Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne fanfic, so no throttling me. I have yet to see the anime or the end of the manga, so I don't know how it ends, and if it's like the ending, then I sincerely apologize to Jeanne's author, Arina Tanemura-sensei. That reminds me: these characters belong to their creator and are not mine; it's the story line that's mine, okay? By the way, this is also a MaronChiaki, MiyakoMinazuki, & FinAccess fanfic. Also, Shikaido Hijiri still has his demon powers, but he's on the good side now (Maron's team). When you're done reading, please submit a review! I can't count how many times I've asked that of my readers, but the constructive criticism helps. Also, send me your ideas and I'll try to write them up as best I can. If you email me your idea, I'll give you credit and dedicate the fanfic to you, as well. Anyway, please enjoy! P.S.- I have no idea where I'm going with this…(I sort of do…) Also, I'm no good at action stuff, so please excuse the suck-i-ness.

Chapter Four: Lovers in a Dangerous Time (Bare Naked Ladies)

_Don't the hours grow shorter as the days go by_

_We never get to stop and open our eyes_

_One minute you're waiting for the sky to fall_

_And next you're dazzled by the beauty of it all_

"There's one! Over there!" Finn shouted to Jeanne. Sinbad, Jeanne, Finn, Access, and Shikaido were on the borderline between Kakimachi and Momokuricho. In front of them stood one of the demons, but they could all see one of the others right behind this one, near the trash bins.

Shikaido clicked his tongue. "Too easy."

"Save it for later," Jeanne commented. The blonde leapt into the air and threw a spinning kick at the closer demon, but it blocked her attack. Jeanne landed with a thud. "Damn!"

"Watch yourself, Jeanne!" Finn squeaked, but the monster was too quick for her.

_Lovers in a dangerous time_

_Lovers in a dangerous time_

_This is it!_ Jeanne thought as she squinted her eyes shut, a drop of sweat climbing down her face.

**_BAM!_**

Jeanne looked up, half-expecting to find Sinbad guarding her, but it was surprisingly Shikaido. "Move out from under me any time you like, Jeanne," he said sarcastically. The little female kaito moved quickly from out underneath him and he fell to his knees fending off the demon. _Shit, _ he thought,_ I may not be able to take care of this one._

Scared for once, Jeanne looked all around her, but noticed that there were probably no likely places for a painting in that area. _How are these monsters so strong!_ she thought.

Just then, Sinbad was flung into one of the trash bins nearby, where the other demon was.

_These fragile bodies of touch and taste_

_This fragrant skin this hair like lace_

_Spirits open to a thrust of grace_

_Never a breath you can afford to waste_

"Sinbad!" Jeanne's eyes flashed with horror as Sinbad did not respond, or move. She was about to call forth for her baton, when Access held her wrist. "Access! I've got to help him!"

_Lovers in a dangerous time_

_Lovers in a dangerous time_

The dark angel shook his head. "These demons are different! These aren't anything at all like the previous demons we've fought!"

_Lovers in a dangerous time_

_Lovers in a dangerous time_

"What! All we have to do is get their painting and-"

_When you're lovers in a dangerous time_

_Sometimes you're made to feel as if your love's a crime_

_Nothing worth having comes without some sort of fine_

_Gotta kick at the darkness till it bleeds daylight_

Access shook his head again. "These ones are different!" He pulled harder on Jeanne's wrist and she complied. She ran back to where Shikaido was, helped him up, and ran back home with Shikaido on her shoulder and Finn and Access behind, letting the demons take Sinbad.

_Lovers in a dangerous time_

_Lovers in a dangerous time_

Maron slammed the door to Shikaido's apartment closed when she had just about fallen on the floor inside. And then the tears came out again. "I can't believe this! This is the first time I've ever ran away from a fight! And I-!" She choked on the thought.

Shikaido resumed his civilian form and put an arm around Maron's shoulders. "Maron, calm down. We'll get him. I hope…"

Now her sobbing stopped. "What do you mean, you hope? What aren't you telling me!"

Access and Finn flew over to the two. "Maron," Access began, "the demons we fought didn't have paintings…"

"How do you know!"

"They were the solid type, not just the general ones that are a shadow and crawl all over the place. These were real demons, but that's not all." Both Maron's and Finn's shocked eyes were on him. "These were high-up demons, ones who answer to Satan only." Access looked at Shikaido. "You noticed it, too, didn't you?"

Maron faced Shikaido again and he hung his head. "Yeah, I kinda knew we wouldn't be able to defeat them… I remember those demons from when _I_ was answering only to Satan. Even _then_, I couldn't fight against them."

"But," Maron thought aloud, "why are the strongest demons coming out now?"

"I doubt it's because they want to," Shikaido said. "My guess is that we're fighting against Satan now. This'll be the fight that determines everything. If he's able to wipe you out, he can complete his mission of killing everything living and, eventually, God."

_Lovers in a dangerous time_

_Lovers in a dangerous time_

Maron stopped breathing for a second. She highly doubted that she could ever give this enough time to sink in: they were fighting against Satan and Chiaki was in his hands!

_We were lovers in a dangerous time_

_We were lovers in a dangerous time_

"Maron, you going to bed?"

Maron wrapped the blanket around her more tightly as she remained in dreamland, not that she was asleep, but she had never really left her thoughts earlier.

"Maron?" Shikaido call again. He came out of the bathroom with his toothbrush still in his mouth. "Maron…?" _She must be pretty upset about leaving a comrade behind,_ Hijiri thought.

"Don't you have a complete set of pajamas?" she finally said.

"Huh?" He looked down at himself and noticed what she was so uncomfortable about: he was only wearing long, white flannel sweatpants and slippers. "These _are_ my pajamas," he said, taking the toothbrush out of mouth.

"Just put any shirt on!" Maron shut her eyes and turned away from him when she felt his arms slip around her shoulders. She crimsoned from head to toe!

"You know, Maron, you'll have to get used to the sight of a half-naked guy if you're ever gonna have a relationship." He smiled. "So why not start now?"

"Fuck you."

"Yes, please," he teased. Shikaido turn Maron's head by her chin so they were looking in each other's eyes. "And that's another thing, Maron. I love your kisses, but I'm starting to get impatient, waiting for the rest…"

"You've gotta be kidding me…! Finn! Access!" Maron faked a smile as she hoped at least one of the angels would put a stop to Hijiri's advancements.

The demon knight hovered his lips near hers. "They're already fast asleep, Maron. Which leaves just you and me…" Even though she turned away from him, he caught her in another one of his hypnotizing kisses. Shikaido leaned further over her until he was almost pressing her down on the floor. Slowly, he removed the blanket (the only thing keeping their bodies _really_ apart) and tossed it aside, leaving one little female kaito to succumb to his moves.

"Shikaido-!" Maron managed to say between French kisses, but then another one followed. _What the hell are we doing…? __…Chiaki…_ Maron could fell her eyelids get heavy, and, soon, her eyes were closed.

Sensing that she had stopped fighting, Shikaido rolled her over and looked at her with a dumbfounded expression. _Goddamn!_ he thought. _This is the first time I've ever put a girl to sleep!_ Like the gentleman he really was, Shikaido fetched the blanket and covered Maron up. "That's so sad," he commented to himself. "Just when things were getting good, too…"

Maron twitched a little. "Chiaki…," she mumbled.

Shikaido exasperatedly sighed. "Oh, well. I knew it was too good to be true. I had kinda figured that I was her second choice, anyway…" He smiled at Maron and cuddled her. _I will protect you when I can, Maron…_ He kissed her forehead and soon drifted into sleep, too.

"Umn…good morning," Maron said, groggy like everyone else is in the morning. She snuggled closer before she realized who she was holding. "KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Shikaido softly grunted. "Keep it down, will ya?" Just then, he, too, opened his eyes all the way. "Wait! Just so you know, I didn't take advantage of you or anything. We just-" He was cut off as a pillow collided with his face. "Maron…"

"Get away from me, you sleazebag!" she shouted at him. Maron stood, wrapped the blanket more tightly around her, and looked for any signs of them really doing it. "It _looks_ clean…" She shot him a nasty glare.

"See? I wasn't lying! I would never take advantage of a beautiful, sleeping maiden such as yourself, Maron." He added his trademark smile as insurance, but then it fell flat. "Especially when I'm not the one she really loves, when I'm just her fall-back plan."

Well, _that_ hurt. "Shikaido, I-"

"Nah, it's okay. I'm pretty happy that I was even your second choice." Shikaido stood and went into his room to get changed.

Maron anxiously bit her lower lip. _I didn't want to hurt him like that…_ Maron flushed. _He said he was my fall-back plan, which means he thinks I'm still in love with Chiaki. And I am! But I love both of them! And yet…_ Maron smiled as she thought of the first time she had received a note in her mailbox from Chiaki. _…Shikaido may have been right and I may have been wrong._ The brunette's brow furrowed. _But he's in Satan's hands now…_ She gripped her fist as she confidently stared at the landscape out the window. "And now we make a plan to save him!"

mew-tsubaki here. I didn't really mean for this to be such a short chapter, but it's what I felt like putting in this one. I know I do a lot with the characters feeling and not much by way of description (if you catch my drift…), but that's my specialty. Please, I know I say this a lot, but review when you're done reading. If I don't get a lot of reviews, I may not feel like writing, and my readers wouldn't want that to happen (I hope…). Anyway, thank you for reading, submitting a review, and looking forward to future chapters. By the way, I'm sorry if this moves to fast for you! Laterz mew-tsubaki - 3 P.S.-I know I mentioned Maron's birthday would happen in this chapter, but I never wrote in. That's because so many things were happening that there really wasn't anything to celebrate. But! Maron _is_ nineteen now, so here's how things stand: Shikaido-22, Chiaki and Maron-19, and Miyako and Minazuki-18.

**NEW NOTICE!** As I am writing this new notice, it is August 17, 2006, and I have not touched this chapter (whole fanfic, really) in a while. As many of you may know, Jeanne vol. 4 is out. I recently purchased it a few weeks ago and, while it is amazing what is going on, it completely throws my fanfiction off, seeing as how I knew very little about the characters' histories when I started this story (I had volumes 1, 2, & 3 when I started out). I am sorry to all of you who may have gotten extremely confused; you have my deepest and sincerest apologies. But! This doesn't mean that I won't finish the fanfic. Starting now, think of the original Jeanne storyline happening like this so my fanfic works: Fin never became Queen (her evil self), Maron and Chiaki _did_ end up together, but Shikaido has come to love Maron as Maron, not Jeanne anymore. Last, but not least- everyone still has their powers; Miyako and Minazuki still don't know about Jeanne, Sinbad, and Noin's real forms; and the reason why Shikaido's such a young teacher is because he was a real whiz-kid and graduated college at a very young age (if you would like an exact age, think between sixteen and seventeen.) Sorry for all the screw-up, but I hope you still enjoy the story all the same!

mew-tsubaki ;


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